The weekend went too fast

So, I've been a blogging slacker. I'm trying to reform my evil ways. This past weekend, I had plenty of fun. I knitted a plethora of baby hats and visited a pumpkin patch and some farm animals.

I made a trio of cabled baby hats. Two for Steve-o's coworkers and one for my coworker. Pink, sage green and blue.

I usually dislike the way cables end up looking when you decrease, but I thought this pattern made a nice flower petal-looking top.


Without Mika's pumpkin party, we are going to have to roast our own seeds this year. The horror! But we did get to see some farm animals, and eat caramel apples, but we skipped the hayride....you know - allergies. The second goat looks like he's taking a nap in a really funny position, but he was just going after the good hay on top.


Steve-o and I in the field:
Eeeek, Pumpkin head guy!

I've also been doing a little scientific experimentation in dye world. To make reproducible results, I decided I need to be a bit more exact in my mixology. After all - a little of this, and then some of this, and now a bit of this other one, isn't really terribly accurate. So, I dyed some samples and created a chart of the basic stock colors. Now, I just have to get started on mixtures.

And also on the topic of dyeing yarn, I'm looking for someone to do some graphic work for me. To help design a logo for my handpainted yarn business/side job thingy. I have a concept, but I need someone to put it into whimsical form. If you, or someone you know might be interested, get in touch. $, or other services (no, not that!) to be provided by me.

Busy Busy Bee

Getting set to head off to San Diego for work. San Diego will be lovely, but I will be spending most of my daylight hours inside a hotel meeting room. Boo! Steve-o was going to come along, but he needs to save his vacation days for med school interviews (fingers and toes crossed). I actually went to San Diego a few years ago with my friends Lisa and Jen. The strangest part was that the sun set over the ocean. Being an east coast gal, I had to keep remembering that when looking at the water, north was actually on my right, not my left. It was strange to have to flip the way I was used to orienting myself. But I liked it, because I always had trouble getting up early to see sunrises over the ocean on the east coast, but enjoying a fosty beverage while watching the sun set over on the west coast was much more my speed!

After I get back, I'm hosting a dye party for some knitters, where I will try and pass on my limited dye knowledge to 8 ladies without getting dye all over myself...and them. And then it's onto my sister's wedding. My younger sis is getting hitched! Whoo-hoo! Open bar. Gosh, I sound like a lush today. Actually, it will be nice to see the fam, particularly my nephews who grow at an amazing rate.

Sooner or later, I'll get the pictures from Mexico up and accessible. Until then, I am keeping my fingers crossed on a job opportunity and trying to think up my username for Ravelry....and a business name, in case I ever start selling all this yarn I dye.

So much going on

I'm a busy gal, lately. Getting ready for my vacation, dyeing yarn, floundering in job interviews, eating lots of ice cream to compensate, getting the house ready to host knitting, tending to the garden, and nesting (see previous post).

And what do I have to show for it? Well, heaps of cherry tomatoes, a decently clean living room, a new shower curtain, and some newly dyed chunks of yarn. So, here's some eye candy!

This stuff is a cotton/wool blend. The cotton didn't take up the dye like the wool did, so it sort of has a heathered look to it. Pretty, huh?


I did the same blues/greens in 100% wool, and you can see they turned out a bit different. I also did some wool in pretty shades of rose. Mexico cat-sitters get first dibs on these if you want them as your payment.


These were fun, but Steve-o did not enjoy the smell of wet sheep in the house on a humid day. Sorry!

Update

Spent last weekend running around DC and murr-lynd looking at kitchen design places, and getting folks to price stuff out. Spent this past week in sticker shock. My damn soffits are creating the need for custom cabinets....very expensive custom cabinets. One person I called said 50K for my tiny little kitchen. Are they on crack? Must be. For that much money, I'd have to be selling the stuff.

So, I tweaked kitchen lady's design a bit, getting rid of the spice cabinet (very $, but not something I really feel compelled to have), and the appliance garage doors (as she called them), deciding they were a little bit country. Even so, the rough estimates are coming in higher than what I'd hoped for. And my ball of savings was just starting to look pretty decent.

Plus, there are so many choices, even though I already know what style I want. Oddly, enough that's part of the problem. Every company makes the door style I like. So, there are a zillion places to get my cabinets from. And then - should they come from a place that handles everything, or should I buy the cabinets, countertop, sink, etc. from different dealers, and perhaps save myself some mula?

Unfortunately, I think the kitchen has to be done whether I stay in the area or not. The wall cabinets are starting to take a dive....like, right off the wall. Damn kamikaze cabinets! On that topic, I've also been busy on Steve-o's school tour 2007. Fortunately/unfortunately, I think we're done with those. Interview season is quickly drawing to a close. It's bitter sweet, cause it's nice to stop worrying about who will invite you for an interview, but it's not so nice when you don't get one from a place you wanted to go. Hmm, I'm talking about this like it's my process. Guess I'm a little vested in it, huh? Kinda snuck up on me. :) Now, we just wait for our...I mean...his acceptances. (I did that one on purpose.)

For those interested in something other than house stuff - I spent this past weekend at a yarn dying class, shunning kitchen stuff entirely. No photos from the class itself, but I came home inspired, and took stock of what I've got. Several pounds of dyeable fiber, and three lonely skeins that may find their way to someone, someday.I also dyed a skein for a pal's birthday, but she might check this, so no photos just yet.